1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a variable speed transmission for motor vehicles. More particularly this invention pertains to a manual transmission having three axes upon which the drive elements are mounted.
2. Description of the Prior Art German Pat. No. 833,691 describes a variable speed transmission having a drive shaft with a fixed pinion which can be driven by an input coupling, an output shaft coaxial with the drive shaft having at least one fixed output pinion and two intermediate shafts disposed parallel to and separate from the axis of the drive shafts. The output shaft is driven from the intermediate shafts when synchronized couplings are moved to produce a driving connection. In this transmission, however, a double clutch with two separately controllable coupling disks is required in order to engage five forward gears, of which the fifth gear is a direct gear. The transmission allows selective operation of two separate coaxial drive shafts by selectively coupling clutches located on the output shafts and the two intermediate shafts.
The prior art transmission has the advantage of a simple, compact construction and uses identical parts for several different functions. The transmission, however, has the disadvantage that high cost is required to produce the double clutch and it lacks a reverse gear which motor vehicles require.